- Feb 7, 2013
- 3,188
- 48
Having gone through this with my DD from age 6 - 17yos:
1) Find a reputable pitching coach that teaches Internal Rotation (i.e the proper and ONLY way to produce good arm whip), a good drag, Brush Interference, and see him/her reguarly (once a week, twice a month, monthly, whatever you can comfortably afford)
2) Read everything written on this site by Boardmember; Javasource; and KenB. These guys 100% get it, the vast majority do not.
3) At your house create "real" pitching area where your DD will pitch from a pitching plate (rubber), measure out 35 feet (whatever distance she pitches from), put down an actual home plate; buy a bucket with a comfortable seat.
4) practice at least three times a week with proper warm-up everytime before pitching.
5) She has to want to practice and improve, if she is just not committed, that's ok, but you might as well find her another position to play as one cannot dabble learning how to pitch windmill style, these pitchers flame out quickly as the batters get better and the pitcher does not improve with them.
6) Pitchers need to pitch in real games, so make sure she is on a team where she gets plenty of opportunity in the circle.
7) Slow and steady year round worked well for my DD. She never was injured pitching and I attribute that to her being in good pitching shape every month of the year.
8) Very important: Ice is for injuries ONLY; being a little sore after pitchinig is normal and no reason to ice a shoulder or elbow. Do not do it! Complete waste of time and could actually hamper the normal recovery of muscles. My DD pitched for 11 years, 1,000 innings in several hundred games and we only iced her shoulder one time (after an idiot coach had her pitch in 3 back, to back, to back games 450 pitches including warm-ups and between innings)
9) Make sure you and she enjoys the process, it's wonderful to see the growth and for her to have success with her pitches when it all comes together. Do it right and she will have a long "career". Best to you!
1) Find a reputable pitching coach that teaches Internal Rotation (i.e the proper and ONLY way to produce good arm whip), a good drag, Brush Interference, and see him/her reguarly (once a week, twice a month, monthly, whatever you can comfortably afford)
2) Read everything written on this site by Boardmember; Javasource; and KenB. These guys 100% get it, the vast majority do not.
3) At your house create "real" pitching area where your DD will pitch from a pitching plate (rubber), measure out 35 feet (whatever distance she pitches from), put down an actual home plate; buy a bucket with a comfortable seat.
4) practice at least three times a week with proper warm-up everytime before pitching.
5) She has to want to practice and improve, if she is just not committed, that's ok, but you might as well find her another position to play as one cannot dabble learning how to pitch windmill style, these pitchers flame out quickly as the batters get better and the pitcher does not improve with them.
6) Pitchers need to pitch in real games, so make sure she is on a team where she gets plenty of opportunity in the circle.
7) Slow and steady year round worked well for my DD. She never was injured pitching and I attribute that to her being in good pitching shape every month of the year.
8) Very important: Ice is for injuries ONLY; being a little sore after pitchinig is normal and no reason to ice a shoulder or elbow. Do not do it! Complete waste of time and could actually hamper the normal recovery of muscles. My DD pitched for 11 years, 1,000 innings in several hundred games and we only iced her shoulder one time (after an idiot coach had her pitch in 3 back, to back, to back games 450 pitches including warm-ups and between innings)
9) Make sure you and she enjoys the process, it's wonderful to see the growth and for her to have success with her pitches when it all comes together. Do it right and she will have a long "career". Best to you!